It Followed Me Home
by Ashana
Summary: North has the yetis, Tooth has her mini-fairies, Bunny has his eggs, and Sandy has his shells and sea-turtles. Who does Jack Frost have? While pondering his dilemma of not having a helper or a constant companion, Jack stumbles up on an injured animal and decides to keep it. Now he simply has to convince the other Guardians that it's a good idea.
1. The Lake

**Chapter 1: The Lake**

Jack Frost did not go looking for trouble, despite Bunnymunds insistence that he was a mayhem magnet. In fact, the winter spirit would rather stay far away from trouble, if it was possible. After battling Pitch, losing his staff, and getting believers, he wanted a nice, long vacation from trouble. Perhaps in Antarctica. He liked Antarctica – the penguins were always good for a laugh. Especially the odd group of Emperors who would tap dance when they saw humans around. As long as he stayed away from the spot where the black-sand-ice-sculpture stood, he would be fine.

But it was winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and they were due for a good dose of snow, so the vacation would have to wait. He spent his Sunday brewing up a storm along the northern border of the United States, and buried half of Montana in four feet of snow. Southern Canada got a light dusting as well, and an irate moose snorted at Jack as he flew past, shaking snow from his antlers and stamping his hooves in annoyance. Jack laughed in response, spiraling into the air and coasting Eastward on the wind currents. Releasing snow was just as good as a vacation, he supposed, at least for the moment. Laying back, he folded his hands behind his head and crossed his ankles, drifting in the wind like it was a hammock. Soft gray clouds bursting with snow flurries followed, hanging back over towns and cities to douse them in white. In what seemed like no time (but was actually several hours, since he wasn't in a hurry) the wind slowed and circled around his town.

It was nearing dark – nearly five, if he was judging the position of the sun right – and lights around town were flicking on. Jamie and Sophie would be at home by now, getting ready for dinner with their parents. He drifted past their house, catching a quick peek through the window. Mrs. Bennet was pulling a pot roast out of a crock-pot and slicing it neatly on a serving plate. Mr. Bennet was going over Jamie's homework, explaining a complicated algebra problem to the nine year old. Sophie was sitting on the floor of the living room, playing with a stuffed bunny rabbit and a plush sheep. She looked up at he passed and squealed at him. He waved, drew a bunny in frost on the window, then drifted away as Mrs. Bennet called them all together for dinner.

Not for the first time, Jack wondered what it would be like to have a home. Oh, he had Santoff Claussen, and the Warren and Tooth Palace, and Sandy had even invited him to stay at his castle on the Island of Sleepy Sands when he had time. It was nice to visit at times; each of the Guardians had created a guest room for him, complete with snow drifts and windows for the breeze to sweep through. North had even recreated some of the toys he had played with as a child, but he left them at the workshop so the snow wouldn't damage them.

Perhaps it wasn't the building he missed so much, but the people. The Guardians got together once a month for a meeting. He visited the others more often that that – after three hundred years alone, he craved the company. They were welcoming (well, everyone but Bunnymund, but that was because his visits to the Warren always ended in a prank). They were never around _constantly_, though. Like a parent or a sibling. They had ways of contacting each other – each had an eternal snow globe, which could be used a million times without breaking, courtesy of North. Tooth had her wings, Bunny his tunnels, Sandy his bi-plane and North his globes and sleigh. Jack had the wind (a friend in and of itself), and through that the gift of flight. And if they were busy, he was always welcome with Jamie, Sophie, and their friends.

Visits, however, weren't filling this empty space in him. They were nice – tea time with North, dances with the mini fairies and Tooth, pranking Bunny, dreaming next to Sandy – everything he had wanted in the last 300 years. But they were busy – they had jobs to do, children to protect, and minions, er, helpers to take care of. The yetis,elves, mini-fairies, and egg golems were like blood children to the others. Even Sandy had the sea-shells and sea turtles who lived on his island, as well as the mermaids who visited. Jack had nobody like that.

The wind whined as it set him lightly on his lake, sensing his dimming mood. Jack skated absently to the edge of the water and flopped backward into the snow drifts. The wind curled around him, sending up a flurry of snow to cover the tired spirit. He nestled into the blanket with a soft thank you and waved as the wind left to it's other jobs. Maybe tomorrow he would swing by Santoff Claussen and ask North where he found his yetis and elves. Manny might know where he could find his own helper, his own constant friend.

As he fell asleep, Jack realized that was what he was missing.

Companionship.

* * *

The sound of laughter woke Jack first thing the next morning. With a groan, the ice spirit threw an arm over his eyes, blocking out the light of the first fingers of dawn that were clawing through the sky. The laughter grew louder, closer, and carried an unpleasant edge. It was instantly recognizable.

Teenagers.

Jack wished he had a pillow to pull over his head. He held nothing personal against teenagers – he was one himself, after all, a perpetual 17-year-old with three centuries worth of extra experience. These teens, however, were bad news. He'd seen them about town the past few years as they grew from small, pudgy, believers into jocks and bullies who thought they ruled the High School with an iron fist. In truth, he doubted there was a single working brain cell between the three. Jamie, who was in middle school now, had run afoul of them once when using the running track that the middle school and high school buildings shared. He'd come out of it worse for wear, with his first black eye and a bloody nose. Jack had seen what had happened when he visited that night, and the next day the three bullies were found frozen to the main steps of the school, babbling about a freak cold-snap that had been localized to their boots. They'd gotten detention for trying to pull a prank and blocking an emergency fire exit. Jack and Jamie had spent the night laughing themselves sick at the looks of astonishment and confusion on the boys' faces.

At the moment, however, Jack really didn't want to deal with the three pseudo-thugs. He was still tired from the storm he'd whipped up the night before. The wind tugged gently at his hair, trying to coax him into lying back down and returning to sleep. The winter spirit almost gave in to the temptation, but a noise stopped him. A noise other than laughter.

Someone – or some_thing – _was crying.

Grabbing his staff (which was never far from his grasp, even while he slept), Jack floated to his feet and looked toward the three boys. They were ambling down the path to his lake, throwing some kind of gray football between them. The tallest (whom Jack and Jamie had nicknamed Dumbo for his large ears) ran toward the lake and stood at the edge, tapping the ice with his boot.

"It's iced over!" He hollered over his shoulder at the other two. Brick (as in, dumb as) slumped forward. He was a hitter on the football team, and built like a steel door. He tossed the football to the last boy and joined Dumbo at the pond. He poked it with his toe.

The last boy was smaller than the other two, and was the towel boy of the football team. He tagged along with Dumbo and Brick, who tolerated them because his dad was an alcoholic and he could always get a six-pack for the weekends. They called him Tabs, and Jack and Jamie figured that was a good enough name for him.

Tabs joined them and looked down at the ice with disgust on his pimpled face. "So we ain't gonna drown it?" He asked, holding out the fuzzy football. Jack swept closer to take a look, and felt his frozen heart plummet.

The football was, upon closer inspection, not a football. It was an animal – a cat, if the tail was any indication – who looked as though it had survived a rather unfortunate encounter with a bear. It was tiny – the size of a grapefruit, no more than a kitten. Tabs was holding it by its scruff, obviously causing it pain, and swayed it back and forth absently. It had all four paws pulled up to it's chest, and it's tail (which was missing a chunk of fur near the end to show soft, pink skin) was curled around it's legs. It let out a pitiful mew, eyes shut tight.

Quite in contrast to his nature, a boiling rage swept through Jacks stomach. The wind easily picked up on his emotions and swirled angrily around the lake, picking at the snow drifts and sending the flakes skidding across the ice. The three boys, who were prodding at the ice with their boots, didn't notice.

"We can stomp it," Brick dug the heel of his snow boot into the ice, and a spiderweb of cracks emerged. "It ain't very thick."

As though in direct contrast of that statement, the ice snapped, then a fresh sheet spread over the lake, coated with thick fern curls of frost. Beneath the top layer, the ice thickened, nearly freezing a foot deep.

"What're you talking 'bout, stupid?" Dumbo shoved his own heel against the ice, and it didn't so much as whine. "The ice is to thick ta' crack." He reached out and grabbed the cat by the scruff. It mewed again. "We can go throw it in the well behind Mr. Jorbes house."

"Nah, I don't wanna walk all the way cross town." Brick scratched his chest and leaned back, balancing his considerable bulk (nearly all muscle) on his heels. "Lets just toss it in the snow and go home. I want hot chocolate."

_Just toss it in the snow,_ Jack repeated in a hiss. _Like it's not a living thing. Like it's a stone or a piece of trash. _The wind lashed at him, tugging furiously at his hoodie and the tattered edges of his pants – it knew him and his emotions inside and out, and seeing him so angry had riled it up. The three boys shivered and pulled their jackets tighter around them.

"I agree with Brick," Tabs piped up, using his free hand to shove his scarf up over his ears. "It's too damn cold." The swear sounded odd coming from such a timid and cowardly boy.

Dumbo sighed dramatically, staring at the pitiful cat. "Hey, I know! Let's punt it!" He grinned at Brick, and even Toothiana wouldn't have been able to see the beauty behind it. "I bet it goes as far as that last goal from Fridays game!"

Jack had heard – and seen – more than enough. The snow that the wind had gathered shifted at his side, and he touched his staff to the top of the pile. It shifted, hastened by his rage, squeezing together into a large, smooth shape. It rose from the snow, shook the excess flakes from it's hide, and growled deep in its throat. This was a trick Jack had perfected while playing with Jamie and Sophie – creating snow beasts. Foxes, penguins, birds, fish, elephants – all were fair game. His favorite by far, however, was his polar bear.

At his side, the bear roared, and where his would have been were instead two deep indentations lit with a bright blue gleam. The boys, who had been arguing over who was going to kick the cat, froze where they stood. Bear roared again and lumbered forward with a silent command from Jack, standing at a considerable height of six feet while still on all fours.

"What the fuck is that?"

"It's a polar bear!"

"No it's not you idiot, they don't live this far south!"

"Maybe it got out from the zoo?"

"Guys, it's made of _snow!_"

"No it's not! Shut up!"

It's body may have been made of snow, but the claws that lined it's appendages were razor sharp ice – an addition Jack didn't use when playing with the kids. The boys, who for a moment had been frozen in fear, began to back away from the lake. They trailed over their previous footprints, eyes widening as the bear lumbered after them.

"Toss it the cat!"

"Yeah, it'll eat the cat!"

Without pausing to think, Dumbo hurled the kitten at the snow bear. With a gentleness rarely seen in any predator so large, the bear swept down and caught the animal gently between it's dull, rounded ice-cube teeth. The bears took off for the town, screaming at the top of their lungs about a rogue polar bear. Said rogue polar-snow-bear turned and padded back to it's master, the kitten clutched gently in it's mouth.

"Thanks, Lumi," Jack ran a hand over the bears head, brushing at the snowy fur. His temper was rapidly cooling now that the boys had left his lake, and the wind had stopped tugging at him. The bear growled happily at the attention before ever-so-gently dropping the kitten into Jacks outstretched hands. The eternal teen gave him a rare sparkling smile and pressed his forehead against the bears own. "I owe ya one, big guy." With a wave of his staff, Jack dissolved Lumi back into a pile of snow. The bear was a spirit – one of the many Native American spirit animals that lived throughout the Americas. Lumi had taken a shine to Jack over the past few years, and had been nearby when the boy had become enraged. He had offered to help, and had possessed the snow once Jack had built the body up. It wasn't the first time they had done this – it was amazing how loud a woman could scream when a bear snow sculpture snapped at her grocery bags.

Ignoring the spirits lingering presence, Jack knelt in the snow and cradled the kitten on his lap. It's eyes were still shut tightly, and he ran a thumb across the closed lids. There was some kind of, well, he couldn't really describe it – gunk, he supposed – keeping them shut, and the cold certainly hadn't helped get rid of it. It's tail was missing a chunk of fur, and there were several places where said fur was matted with blood and who knows what else. What really caught Jack's attention, however, was its ears.

The right ear had a large wedge taken out of it, as though someone had neatly cut out a piece of it's ear. Thanks to the cold, the blood had already clotted into a crusty scab around the injury. Jack gently touched the cut, and the kitten lashed out at him. Well, that was a good sign – if the kitten could fight back like that, then it had energy. If it had energy, it had life. If it had life, it could survive.

The left ear was in much worse shape. The top half had been torn off, leaving a ragged flap a little longer than a stump behind. It twitched alongside the other ear, and when Jack reached down to snap beside it's head, what remained of the ear swirled in his direction. It hadn't lost the hearing in his ears – another good sign.

The kitten mewed in protest as Jack moved it between his hands, and he paused to examine the fur, which had begun to frost over at the tips (much like how Bunnys' fur frosted when he touched Jack). It needed to get out of the cold, not to mention see a vet. Juggling the kitten between his hands, the spirit pulled off his hoodie one arm at a time and shook it out. The frost patterns around the cuffs and neckline dissipated, and as soon as he was sure the fabric was no longer frozen stiff he wrapped it around the kitten until only it's black nose shone through. There was a mew of protest,which he ignored in favor of standing and retrieving his staff (which he had dropped in shock when Lumi had caught the kitten).

Now the main concern was finding a vet. It was Sunday – that meant most places were closed, including Veterinary offices. So dropping it off at the local vet was out. Jamie and his family were gone – Jamie had been enthusing about a trip to the big city a few hours away for Christmas shopping all week, and they were supposed to have left early this morning. That left only the Guardians to turn to.

He immediately crossed Sandy off the list – a cat on an island of sand did not seem like a good idea. Tooth was next – she could probably help him, but India was an awfully long ways away. Bunny would be his first choice, but like Tooth was on the opposite side of the world, and was also out for Jacks blood after the whole 'neon-glow-in-the-dark-blue-fur-dye' incident. That left North.

Well, North did have his reindeer, right? They were animals. It would make sense for him to have a vet on his staff – most likely one of the older yetis. He had first-aid yetis for the Guardians, why not one for his animals? Santoff Claussen was also the closest hide-away to Jacks lake, and North would never turn him away, no matter the problem (unlike a certain Pooka when in a foul mood). He just had to make sure he avoided Phil at the doorway.

Mind made up, the boy made sure the hoodie was snugly wrapped around the kitten. He tucked it against his chest, holding it with a tight grip, and made sure the little black nose was nestled in the crook of his elbow so the wind wouldn't sweep away it's chance to breath. Grasping his staff in his free hand, he called for the wind to carry them north, to North.

* * *

**AN: I feel like I got a little wordy with this story, but most of it was either written in the middle of my Physical Science class or very late at night.**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I really appreciate reviews, and knowing what mistakes I made and what people like and dislike about my stories. It helps me grow as a writer and I always like to know that people are enjoying what I write!**


	2. Santoff Claussen

**Chapter 2: Santoff Claussen**

Jack had learned early on after his admittance to Santoff Claussen that if North was in his workshop, he was not to be bothered unless there was an emergency. Phil had drilled a second lesson into his head after that first one: if North was in his workshop and you need him, you had to do one very specific thing.

Knock.

On.

The.

Door.

More than one yeti had been reduced to tears after destroying one of North's ice prototypes in their hasty actions. Jack had no desire to become one of their number – he had seen Santa blow a gasket, and it was not a pretty sight. He did not want to be on the receiving end of it. At least not inadvertently – if he pulled a master prank and got that response it was well worth it.

So he stood outside the large door with the stained glass inlay and rocked back on his heels, taking a deep breath before rapping on the wood with the end of his staff. The kitten was still bundled in his arms, tucked safely amongst the folds of fabric. He had stopped to check on it almost every five minutes of the flight, to make sure it was getting enough air, and was warm enough, and was still alive to be breathing and warm in the first place. The kitten had slept most of the flight, simply happy to be warm, and when they had slipped into Santoff Claussen through a rarely-used back door it had begun to purr at the wash of heat.

Frost shot through the wood of the door, creating sparkling leaves and ferns against the dark planks. There was the sound of heavy boots on the other side of the door, stomping around the desk and across the rug. A jingle as an elf was shoved out of the way, then a creak as the tarnished gold hand was grasped. It swung open in a large arc, revealing the towering Russian Guardian.

"Jack!" He was looking as jolly as ever. Bright blue eyes sparkled beneath dark brows as he patted the winter spirit shoulder with a heavy hand. "Good to see you! Not expecting visit!" North motioned to one of the elves to come forward. "Jingle, go get milk chocolate for Jack!" The elf saluted and ran between Jacks legs and down the hall. The Cossack threw his arm around the winter spirits shoulder and pulled him into the workshop. "What does visit owe?"

As always, the Cossacks presence was a little overwhelming for Jack. The man was a legendary host, and was always hard pressed to make his guests feel welcome. After three hundred years of being alone, however, Jack found it a bit daunting. He ducked from beneath North's grasp and took a step away, putting distance between the two. The man didn't even notice.

"Never mind Jack, no reason needed!" North swept across the workshop to his desk, where he picked up an ice toy. "You are welcome here, always, anytime!"

"Actually, North," Jack took a step forward, intent on handing over the kitten to the man, only to be nearly bowled over as the legend turned and moved to the other side of the room.

"Come, you must see, is very good idea, yes?" North grabbed something else from one of the shelves and turned back around, once more nearly mowing down the younger spirit.

Jack spun out of the way, nearly dropping his staff, and watched as North hung a piece of string between the arms of the wing-back chairs by the fireplace. He pulled until the string was taunt, then turned to beam at the winter spirit. "Now, Jack, you see-"

"NORTH!"

The man stopped mid-sentence, staring at Jack with his incredibly wide blue eyes.

"I need your help." Now that he had stopped running around the room like a toddler on a sugar high, Jack stepped up to him and held up his hoodie. The kitten, who had not been enjoying the past few minutes of movement, let out a squeak and shoved it's black nose out of it's breathing hole.

"What is this?" North asked, surprised. He took the bundle from Jack and unwrapped the hoodie, revealing the bruised and bleeding kitten. It squeaked in protest of having it's warmth taken and huddled in on itself, curling its tail to its nose. "Jack, where did you find this?"

The boy shifted, keeping a tight grip on his staff to keep his anger under control. "Some boys brought him to my lake. They were talking about throwing him in and drowning him."

North shifted the kitten in his hands and lifted its tail. "Is a she," he said after a quick peek, "a girl-cat."

"Then they were going to drown _her_," Jack corrected, moving his weight to his other leg and tapping his fingers against his staff in anxiety. "Can you help? Please? I know you give out pets for kids on Christmas-"

"I do not," North was running a thumb over the kittens eyes, wiping off what he could of the thawed gunk. "Pets are not good present. Pets are friends for life, not for gifts. Parents buy pets then say they're from me."

"Then...you _can't _help?"

To his surprise, North winked. "I never say that," he wrapped the hoodie back around the kitten and cradled her against his chest. "Come, I take kitty to Saul. He know most about animals."

Jack obediently followed North out of his personal office and into the larger workshop. The yetis paid them little mind as they passed – it was too close to Christmas for them to worry about the frost child wrecking havoc. They took the lift to the garage (where the sleigh was being polished by a handful of hyper elves) but bypassed the cavernous room in favor of a small, hand-carved door near the back of the cave. The smell of straw and animal hide hit them as they entered.

Either side of the room was lined with stalls, five to a side. In nine of them were reindeer, who were chatting happily with each other in an oddly accented English while a large yeti watched, occasionally chiming in with his own opinions.

"Is good to see you are training hard, yes?" North laughed, causing the conversation to stutter to a halt. The reindeer let out various greetings, crowding to the edge of their stalls and peering curiously at Jack and the blue bundle held by their master. "Saul, I am needing your help. Is most important."

The yeti immediately got to his feet and ambled over, a worried look creasing his brow. North handed the bundle over, and Saul unwrapped the kitten. He gasped, mustache quivering, as the kitten was revealed. Around him the reindeer who could see let out similar noises of surprise and worry. The kitten opened one crusty eye and rolled it around, taking in her surroundings.

After three-hundred years of pranks and annoying the yeti, Jack had learned to read their facial expressions rather well. And Saul looked devastated. He grumbled something to North, who sighed sadly.

"No, was not him. Jack saved kitten from bullies."

The winter spirit was a little irked that the yeti thought _he _could have harmed the cat, but then he reminded himself that winter was a cruel time, and often meant the death of many animals who could not find shelter or food. Instead of being insulted, he jumped on top of his staff and balanced, crouched, at eye-level with the yeti. "Can you help her?" He asked.

Saul glanced up, deep brown eyes narrowing as he searched the winter spirits face, then nodded. He gathered the hoodie back around the cat and grumbled something to North before turning and leaving through the back door of the stables. Jack made to follow, but a large hand on his shoulder stopped him short.

"Not a good idea," North warned. "Saul take job very seriously, likes to be alone when helping creatures."

Jack dropped back to stand on the warped wooden floor of the stable and nodded. "But he can help her, right?"

The Cossack raised a dark brow. "Why have you taken such an interest in this kitten?"

The boy shrugged, not meeting Norths eyes. "I haven't," he defended, "It needed help and you were closest. That's all."

"Closest? What about magic snowglobe I gave you?"

Why hadn't he thought of that? Bunnymund or Tooth would have asked fewer questions, that's for sure. "I didn't think of it," he admitted.

North laughed, ruffling the messy mop of white hair. "Ah, Jack! Always acting first and thinking later!" He slung an arm around the thin shoulders and pulled him back through the door to the garage after bidding his reindeer goodbye. "Come, we eat cookies and talk. Saul will have kitten good as new in no time!"

* * *

True to Norths word, Saul had the kitten bandaged up in only a few hours. He shambled into the globe room when Jack was on his second plate of Danish Butter Cookies, the hoodie thrown over one massive shoulder, his furry hands curled around a purring ball of gray. The yeti grumbled something to North, ignoring Jack as he leapt up and floated over to look at the kitten.

"Is she alright?" He asked anxiously as North came up beside him. The kitten was a gray lump in the large hands, nose tucked under tail, sides puffing out as it took in little wheezing breaths. There was a bandage tied tightly about her tail, where the fur had been pulled off, and another wrapped around the stump of the lost ear. Her fur was sticky in places with poultice and salves to ward off infection and speed healing. Jack reached out and scratched the kitten on her little gray head, between the healing ears. She lazily opened one gunk-free eye and purred louder. The winter spirit couldn't help but grin.

"Good work, Saul!" North clapped the yeti on the shoulder. The yeti blushed beneath his fur, and mumbled something that had the immortal laughing with all his belly.

"What's so funny?" Jack was never one to be left out of a joke.

North gently took the kitten into his own hands. She mewed in protest, and he held her against his chest. The strong, steady heartbeat of the large Russian settled her, and she rubbed her head against his thumb. "Kitten is of Russian Blue breed," he explained as the cat settled back down. "Is a good, strong, smart breed."

Jack grinned. "You just like her 'cause she's Russian."

"I like kitten for many reasons," North winked. "Now come, we must prepare home for kitten! She will need food dishes and bed and toys." His large, blue eyes sparkled at that last word. "We set up home in your room, yes?"

"My room?" The winter spirit grabbed his hoodie from Saul and tugged it on before running after North, who was swiftly leaving the globe room and heading for his workshop.

"Is your kitten, yes? So she lives in your room."

Jack paused. "My kitten?"

"You saved her. Makes her yours." North opened the door to his workshop and made a beeline for the fireplace, where a new log had just been added by a pair of tottering elves. He tossed a pillow from one of the armchairs on the hearth rug and settled the kitten on top of it. Jack stayed on the other side of the chairs, away from the warmth. "Is too cold for her to live at lake, so she lives here." North glanced over his shoulder, raising a bushy brow. "Unless you have objection?"

The winter spirit looked at the kitten, who had opened her bright blue eyes and was looking past North, to him. The gaze melted his heart. "No, no. I just wasn't expecting you to offer." Seemingly satisfied with his answer, the kitten curled up on the pillow and closed her eyes.

"Of course I offer!" North stood and threw an arm around Jack, steering him towards the work table. "We are family. Family looks after one another!" He rummaged through a crate sitting beside his desk and pulled out several sheets of parchment. "Now we make play house for kitten." He found an ink well and quill pen on the bookshelf nearby (Jack didn't know why he didn't just use a ballpoint like the rest of the world) and began to sketch the outline of what appeared to be a castle fit for a cat. "This easy job," he muttered, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he drew. "Much easier than making toys for Tooth's flying elephants!"

"Tooth's flying _what_?"

* * *

It did not take long for Kitten to find a niche in the workshop. Her official 'home' was Jacks room in the guest quarters (which now had a cat-flap set into the door), where the fluffiest bed and her food dishes were. The rest of Santoff Claussen was her playground. Now that her cuts and scrapes had healed (thanks to Saul's miracle poultice) she could run, jump and play like any normal kitten. And play she did.

The yetis were used to avoiding the elves, so learning not to step on the gray-blue blur that was Kitten wasn't an issue. She would run around the workshop, chasing the elves and their jingling bells under tables, over furniture and through halls. When she grew bored of annoying them, she would find North and follow him around until he gave her a treat or a belly rub. He would chuckle and take her into his workshop, where she would doze in a chair before the fire while he chatted away in Russian.

That's how Jack usually found them when he returned from spreading winter. He'd taken to resting at the pole every evening now, in order to spend as much time with his new pet as possible. He still hadn't named her, electing to call her 'Kitten' until an epiphany struck. Said kitten would latch onto him whenever he got home, having found the perfect perch in the crook of his neck. She would drape herself there like a scarf, ignoring the chill of his skin, and nip at his ear lobe until he paid attention to her. Within a week, she had the entire population of Santoff Claussen wrapped around her little paw.

Of course, as it had been said by Bunny and Pitch, Jack could make a mess where ever he went (if he wanted to), and his kitten wouldn't be any different.

* * *

Norths newest toy was a thing of beauty. On a piece of thread strung between two wooden blocks, a tiny ice man balanced on a unicycle and dressed in circus finery rolled back and forth, tiny legs pumping. Beside him, an ice seal bounced an ice ball on its ice nose, barking between every bounce. A few times the ball went high into the air, and it would clap it's flippers before catching it again. Horses trotted across the work table in perfect step with each other, an elephant raised it's trunk and trumpeted as they passed, and a barrel of monkeys had tipped over, sending several different species of ice apes running around the carefully carved circus scenery.

For one of the very few times in his life, Jack was struck dumb. He crouched at the table, staring at the chaotic scene playing out between the ice creatures. North's skill with ice was incredible, and the winter spirit had to applaud him for his work. An ice chimp swung onto the tightrope walkers thread, and he let go of his balancing pole and jabbed the monkey. It screeched and the two got into a tug-and-war fight over the pole.

North, pleased with Jacks reaction, leaned forward and poked at the two figures until they broke up. He waved a hand over the table, and the ice figures stilled in place, the magic that brought them to life removed. "Come!" He clapped the boy on his shoulder, and Jack wondered if he would ever get used to the jolly Russians booming excitement and rough hugs. "We have cocoa and you tell me what kids want for Christmas!"

"Sleds," was Jack's immediate response as they left the workshop. "Oh, and Jamie wants a new book on Bigfoot, and to see you when you hit their house. And Sophie wants a stuffed rabbit that looks like Bunny..."

The door slammed shut, and in her seat Kitten yawned and stretched. She peered about the room and frowned – where was her human, the cold one? And where was the big one that gave her treats and scratches? She rubbed her nose, licked the end of her tail, and huffed when neither appeared to praise her adorableness. The door to the office was closed – they had left her all alone! Kitten fluffed her fur and jumped out of the chair. She scratched at the bottom cushion as she did so, leaving a mark of her displeasure, and sauntered over to the food dishes beside the fireplace. A quick drink and a bit of tuna calmed her nerves, and she went back to cleaning herself. She could still taste the slimy stuff the big, furry, creature had slathered on her wounds.

A sparkle of light caught her attention. Kitten turned and looked up at the big table the big man always worked at, with his tools and laughter and talking. She abandoned her bath in favor of clawing her way up Big Mans work chair, then leaping onto the table. There were lots of little, sparkly toys in lots of different shapes. A purr escaped her throat as she wandered among them, sniffing them cautiously. They smelled like snow, and like her boy, her cold one.

She poked at one, which looked like a little fat human in fancy clothes. It tipped over, making a delightful chiming sound as it hit the wooden work table. Another poke sent it rolling in an odd semi-circle, it's feet thumping as it turned over and over. Licking her paw, which was chilled from the touch, she looked at the other figures and wondered if they sounded that beautiful when they fell over.

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

North had a temper, and he did not hide it. He was a Cossack, the past leader of a fierce group of bandits, and a trained wizard. Centuries of building toys and watching over children had soothed it, however, like music soothes a savage beast. The last time anyone had truly seen his temper had been ten years ago, in the final battle against Pitch. The beast had gone back to sleep afterward, and had slumbered peacefully ever since.

Now, however, it reared it's head. Beside him, Jack ceased his babbling about Jamie sledding off a roof and stared at the room in abject horror.

The beast sniffed, then stood and stretched as rage boiled around it. North took slow, heavy steps to the table and stared at the shattered remains of his ice figures. The tightrope walker had been decapitated, the monkeys torn to shreds, the elephant had lost his trunk and ears. In the midst of it all was Kitten, sitting tall and straight and purring like a motor. With a trembling hand, North picked up the only remaining piece, the Ring Master.

"North." Jack had followed him to the table, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The man took a deep breath. "Years of work...of research...and my new spells...and the tightrope took _months_ to balance..."

"I'm so, _so _sorry North!" Jack scooped the prideful Kitten into his arms. "I'm sure she didn't know what she was doing-"

"Out."

"What?" The sharp command brought Jack up short.

"OUT!" The rage jumped to his face, roaring in victory. "Get Kitten _OUT _of my sight!"

Jack – who had never had that boiling, raging fury directed at him, flew from the room, the door slamming shut behind him. Kitten had gone silent in his arms, eyes wide and ears pinned back. She stayed quiet as they left the workshop and darted down the halls to the front gates. Jack didn't even slow as he passed Phil – just asked the wind to open the doors, which is gladly did, and sweep them outside. The Russian Blue hissed a the sudden cold and nuzzled herself deeper in Jacks arms. The winter spirit took off into the sky, soaring South-West, away from the pole and far out of North's sight.

"Why'd you have to do that, Kitten?" He asked as they coasted over Canada, a soft sprinkling of snow following. "I've never seen North so mad. We'd better lay low somewhere else until he's forgiven us." He frowned as they passed Alaska and followed the Bearing Strait to Russia. "But you can't stay at my lake – it's too cold. You'd freeze. Where else I leave you? We could go ask-"

He didn't see the blur of purple and green in time. With a jolting crash, two spirits collided, and Kitten fell from Jacks arms and plunged towards the snow-capped mountains of northern China.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry for the long wait guys! I got distracted with school work for a bit, but here it is, the next chapter! Cookies to whoever can guess where the next one takes place!

And yes, Tooth has a flying elephant. It's book!cannon.

**PLEASE REVIEW! Seeing a review alert in my inbox always makes my day! **


	3. Punjam Hy Loo

**Chapter 3: Punjab Hy Loo**

Before Jack could recover his breath, the blur of purple and green (and gold and pink and feathers) dove. The howling, flailing cat barely made it a dozen yards before being caught in the gentle arms of the Tooth Fairy. Jack shook his head to clear away the stars and swooped down to check on both his friend and his cat.

"I'm sorry, I'm so _so _sorry!" Tooth babbled, clutching the kitten to her chest and smoothing down the wind-ruffled fur. "I didn't see you there, a molar in Russia was just knocked out and there's a few in London waiting with the teeth mice and Chichi lost her tooth over the Black Forest when a starling startled her and-"

"Tooth!" Jack couldn't help but think that she was as bad as North at times. "Tooth, it's okay! I wasn't looking where I was going either."

She flashed him a half-grateful, half-apologetic smile and looked down at the kitten cradled in her arms. Kitten was shaking, tail bushed out, and the fairy cooed. "Oh, I'm sorry kitty!" She ran a small hand over the cats head and scratched beneath her chin. "That must have been quite a fright!" Kitten didn't purr, but she did begin to calm down. "There we go, that's a good girl! Aren't you a pretty little thing." She glanced back up at Jack, who was grinning at the baby-talk she had adopted while cooing at the cat. "Why are you flying around with a cat, anyway?"

"She's mine," he answered, a bit of pride in his voice. Kitten let out a small _mrow_ of agreement.

"Yours?" Tooth poked the kittens round little tummy. "I never pictured you as a cat person, Jack."

The winter spirit shrugged. "Some boys were trying to drown her in my lake. I couldn't let them do that, could I?"

"Oh, of course not!" Tooth gave the cat a tight squeeze, which was met with a rather displeased squawk. "Those awful boys, how could they harm a sweet, innocent little kitty like this?" She pressed her cheek to the cats, nose twitching against the short fur. Jack smirked when Kitten glared at him, but did nothing to dissuade the fairies tight grip.

The fairies eyes snapped wide, and she pulled the animal protectively against her chest. "What are you doing out here anyway? Cats can't fly! You could drop her. You _did _drop her! Thank goodness I was here to catch her!" Jack didn't bother to point out that it had been Tooth's fault in the first place. "You should take her to Santoff Claussen," she demanded, "I'm certain North will let her stay in your guest room."

Jack adopted a kicked puppy look, the one that drove Bunny mad and made tears come to Tooth's eyes every time. "We _were _there," he said softly, folding his hands behind his back and looking down, to the side. "But North, he – he kicked us out."

"Oh my!" Tooth shifted Kitten into one arm and reached out to gently touch Jacks face. Her eyes had gone soft and motherly, brows crinkled in worry, crown feather drooping. "Why would he do that?"

"Kitty there got into his workshop and was playing with some of his ice sculptures," Jack ignored the flat look the cat gave him, as though she knew he was pinning the blame on her. "She broke some, and North just lost it! I've never seen him so mad. He yelled at us, told us to leave," the winter spirit shrugged. "We don't have anywhere else to go..."

"Don't be silly, of course you do!" Tooth looped her free arm through his and gave a tug, south-west of where they were hovering. "You and your adorable little kitty are welcome at Tooth Palace for as long as you want!" A firmer pull had them both flying toward the crest of India. "I'm sure my girls will just love having such an adorable playmate, and Baby Tooth will be delighted at seeing you again!"

Grinning, Jack followed her, wondering absently if North knew he would be getting a dressing down for yelling at 'Poor, Sweet, Innocent-As-A-Lamb Jack' from Mama Tooth next meeting.

* * *

Punjam Hy Loo was abuzz with activity as usual. Tiny fairies swept through with a dizzying amount of teeth, storing them in the proper case on one of the seven columns. Technically Tooth only needed six, since Antarctica didn't have any children, but she kept it there out of principle, just as Bunny had a seventh tunnel in his Warren, and North a seventh floor in his workshop. Several paused when Jack landed on the central support column, and he found himself swarmed by the tiny fairies, who tried to hug his face and peek at his teeth.

"Girls, gir-no, Leela, get your fingers out of his mouth!" Tooth scolded as she landed beside him. "Don't disgrace the uniform! Back to your jobs, chop chop!" She made a little shooing motion with her free hand. With a disappointed sigh, and several quick pecks, they fluttered back to work. Jack thought he was in the clear when a small missile hit him square in the nose and attached itself to his face, squeaking in delight.

"Hey, Baby Tooth!"

The tiny fairy squealed happily and fluttered in circles around his head, chirping all the while about everything that had happened since they had last seen each other. Jack was slowly learning the fairies language – it was incredibly tricky, and required vocal chords he didn't know he possessed. It was no wonder the other guardians had never bothered to learn – he had been studying for months and only knew how to say 'hello' and 'where are the cookies?' He thought he caught the word 'Cheshire' and 'movie night' but at the speed she was chirping, he couldn't be sure.

The fairy finally settled in her favorite place – his hair. She fluffed some of the white strands and snuggled down, chirping quite happily. It was one of the few places on his body that was warm – his head and his shoulders, where the hoodie protected her dainty feet from his cool skin.

Jack grinned as the small weight settled, and reached up to pat her gently. "Good to see you too, Baby."

"Aww!" Tooth was fluttering in front of them now, hugging Kitten tightly as she watched them. "You're _so _good with the fairies Jack! Even _Sandy _isn't this good, and he's good with _everybody_."

Kitten squirmed in her arms, hissing in displeasure. She wanted _down_ and to be with her cold one and to have all four paws on solid ground. She was used to her cold one carrying her – he was swift and smooth and the wind wrapped her in a comforting cocoon to keep the biting chill away. This new person – this feathery sweet-smelling lady – was hugging her too tight and had bounced up and down in the air all the way here and the wind hadn't been there to hold her.

Cold hands were suddenly under her front legs, and she was lifted from the fairies hold to dangle in front of her cold ones face. He was smiling – that gentle, kind, half-smile he only used on her. "Hey kitty-cat, you okay?" He asked, soothing her ruffled fur with his voice. She mewed and wiggled, until he bent over and set her down on the cool tile of the floor.

As soon as she was standing, a swarm of the little flying not-birds swept around her, chirping and chittering and making noise. One patted her nose, another hugged her tail. A third sat on her head and scratched her fur. The others mimicked her, and soon Kitten was in the midst of a full-body massage. Purring like a lawn mower, she pulled her limbs under her and gracefully stretched out on the tile. Several of the fairies who had hung back, hesitant to approach the new beast, joined their sisters and scratched the cats tummy.

Oh yes, Kitten could get used to this.

* * *

Jack's room in Tooth's Palace was on the lowest floor, hidden in a cave among the waterfalls and lakes, the arching doorway surrounded with a mural of white and blue snowflakes. It was the coolest room in the mountain, and thanks to some fancy spell work by North, it stayed at a toasty ten degrees Fahrenheit at all times. As soon as the winter spirit slipped through the door, snow began to fall and gather into drifts across the floor.

Kitten growled at the sudden drop in temperature and nuzzled herself deeper into Jacks arms. Tooth let out a drawn-out 'awww!' as she fluttered in after them. "She's _so cute_ Jack!" The fairy fluttered around the pair. "Oh, give me a moment! I'll go find one of Tilly's old beds." She zipped out of the room. Jack shared an amused look with his pet and drifted to the bed, where he perched on the foot. Only a moment later Tooth returned with a large, well-worn but clean pet bed in hand. It was even blue with a white sheep-skin lining. "Here we are!" She swooped over to the large window seat, where sunlight shone weakly through the frosted glass, and began to set up the large bed. Several mini fairies followed, carrying a blanket between them. They delivered it to their mother, then moved to coo over Jack and Kitten.

"Oh really girls, shoo now." Tooth giggled as Leela tried, once more, to put her hands in Jack's mouth. They gave him waves and quick kisses before flying off to their duties.

"Where'd you get such a big bed?" Jack asked, jumping off the bed and crossing the room to the window. Kitten wiggled in his arms, and he put her on the bed. She walked around the edge several times, sniffing the blanket and sheepskin and pressing at the fluffed padding with curious paws.

"It belong to Tilly," Tooth explained, watching in delight as Kitten turned around three times before settling down in the middle of the bed. "Oh good, she likes it!"

Jack perched beside the cat and scratched between her ears. "So who's Tilly?"

"Oh, she's my flying elephant."

"Your _what!?_"

* * *

They managed to last four days.

In hindsight, he really should have seen it coming. After what happened to Norths ice sculptures, he should have taken precautions. Kitten was a _feline_, despite her missing ear and small size. Just because she was young didn't mean she was missing the instincts of an older cat.

Jack, however, was busy. It was Christmas-Eve-Eve, and tomorrow would be his first day off in ages, so he was pulling out all the stops with his snow today. He always laid off on Christmas Eve, so the children could have their parents home in time for the holiday. He'd even worked with Cirrus, the nature spirit who made clouds, to clear the skies for the airplanes as soon as his snow had finished falling.

The winter spirit drifted into Punjam Hy Loo with a tired yawn. Every inch of land in the Northern Hemisphere had at least a dusting of snow for a white Christmas, and he was exhausted. Several fairies twittered hello, and he waved around another yawn. He'd given up on speaking the fairies language – it simply depended too much on high notes and quick, odd sounds. Instead, he was learning to simply understand it, seeing how the fairies could already understand him. They had all inherited their mothers talent with languages, and could understand whatever was spoken. In hindsight, it made much more sense than trying to teach him to squeak like a budgie.

Tilly, Tooth's flying elephant, was bathing in one of the lower pools. Normally she roamed the forest that surrounded the base of the mountain, patrolling for the Monkey King and his minions. When it was warm like today, though, she would spend a few hours in the cool water, taking a break from her duty and washing the dust from her body. Tooth had said she was the only flying elephant left – the others had turned to wooden statues in the forest when her predecessors, the Sisters of Flight, had left the living world. Tilly, however, had stayed, ever loyal to the guardian of memories and ever watchful for the evil monkey king.

The elephant looked up as he swept past, and the winter spirit dug into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a banana he had grabbed from one of the trees outside. Without pausing in his flight, he peeled it and tossed it to the mammal. She caught it deftly in her trunk, shoved it in her mouth, and trumpeted her thanks. He tossed her a wave, soared past a swooning flock of fairies, and drifted into his nice, cold room.

Kitten was there, sitting primly in her giant bed, while several off-duty fairies ran small brushes through her fur. Jack propped his staff against the nightstand and flopped onto his bed with a relieved sigh, exhausted from a hard nights work. He watched as the feline purred and licked daintily at one of her paws.

"Maybe I should name you Vanity," he grinned when she gave him a flat look, single ear pinned back. "That's a no then?" He laid his head back and shut his eyes. If he could just nap until the Christmas Eve party tomorrow night, that would be perfect.

It was only a few minutes later that Baby Tooth soared into the room, clutching the tail of a toy mouse. _Look_! She squeaked, fluttering over Jacks face, _Look what I found! _He opened one eye and grinned at the sight of the toy.

"Oh, she'll love that." He sat back up and watched as Baby fluttered in an excited circle before going to present her find to Kitten. The grooming fairies snatched up their brushes and hovered higher, watching with excited chirps. The feline sat up straighter as Baby dangled the mouse in front of her, waving it back and forth. Crouching down and wiggling her rump, tail high in the air, the cat growled, then pounced.

With a startled squeak, Baby dropped the mouse and shot upward. Kitten caught it in her mouth as she jumped, landing in the light covering of snow on the floor. She dropped the toy and batted at it with her paws, jumping and rolling around in the snow. Baby landed on Jacks knee, and the two watched with growing amusement as the kitten tore into the mouse.

"Jack, are you hungry?" Tooth appeared at the door, a bowl of fruit balanced in one hand.

The ice spirit nodded and scooted over, making room for her to join him on the bed. "Yeah, how'd you guess?" He grinned, motioning for her to come join him.

She fluttered over the icy floor and sat primly beside him. "Well, if I spent a whole twenty-four hours spreading snow all over the world, I'd be hungry!" She placed the bowl between them, and Jack picked out some grapes to pop in his mouth. "What does your kitty have?"

"Baby Tooth found a toy for her," Jack rubbed a finger over Baby's head, and she beamed up at him. "Kitten's gone wild for it."

The trio, plus the grooming fairies, watched for a few minutes more as Kitten proceeded to jump, spin, flop, and roll over, all while batting the mouse around. Finally, the feline stopped, panting, and stared at the mouse, which was only a few paw-lengths away. Baby Tooth giggled through her fingers and, before either guardian could stop her, jumped off Jack's lap and moved to grab the mouse.

Kitten saw the blur of color and reacted instinctively. She lunged, little claws unsheathed, and swiped at the little flying not-bird that was trying to steal her toy. Her paw hit, and something tore, and the not-bird landed in the snow. Her cold-one and the big not-bird jumped off the bed, and were yelling, and it was loud and confusing. Pinning back her ear, she scrambled back, away from her mouse and little not-bird.

"Baby Tooth!" Ignoring his cat for the moment, Jack knelt down and scooped the tiny fairy out of the snow. She was curled up on her side, arms wrapped around her stomach, mis-matched eyes shut tightly. There were several long, thick tears in her wings.

A slender pair of hands encompassed his own, and with a start the winter spirit realized he was shaking. Tooth was cooing at her baby in their special avian language, but Jack was too shaken up to pay attention and figure out what was being said. Baby squeaked something back, and Tooth nodded and carefully ran a hand along the torn wings. The other fairies had dropped their brushes and were hovering anxiously around their mother. She spoke to them in that same soft, calm voice and they flew off.

"Jack?" One hand moved to touch his cheek, and lifted his chin so he was looking at her. "Breathe, sweet tooth. Baby Tooth will be fine."

Jack took a deep, shuddery breath. "But her wings-"

"Will heal." She cut him off, keeping her bright purple eyes trained on his icy blue ones. "She isn't the first fairy to be hurt by a pet, and she probably won't be the last. It's one of the risks in this job." She moved her hand and ran her fingers through his soft hair. "Like when North gets chased by doberman, or when Aster gets chased up a tree by a bear."

The winter spirit snorted. "A _bear_?"

Even Baby Tooth managed a weak twitter at that.

"He was stuck for two days." Tooth confirmed, smiling. She opened her mouth to say more, but the other fairies returned with a loud series of squeaks. "Ah. Thank you, girls." The mother fairy took a roll of bandages and a little jar of pink paste from them. In Jack's hands, Baby Tooth sat up, wincing as her wings rubbed against each other. "Jack, can you raise your hands a bit?"

He complied, flattening his hands a bit and holding Baby Tooth up so Tooth could take care of her. She gave him a small smile, then took a deep breath and braced herself.

"Alright, Baby," Tooth unscrewed the cap on the paste, and the smell of berries and flowers filled the room. "This will sting a little bit." There was a small brush attached to the lid of the jar, and she used it to cover the delicate wings with a thin layer. Baby winced, but didn't cry out. Her mother finished quickly, and with a practiced hand wrapped both wings in soft, thin bandages. "There we go!" Tooth handed the first aid supplies back to her fairies, who zoomed out of the room.

Jack grinned widely at Baby Tooth, making sure he showed as many teeth as possible. "You're really brave, Baby Tooth." He ran a thumb over her head. She tweeted in reply, laying her wings flat against her back, eyes trained on his smile.

"See?" Tooth beamed. "She'll be grounded for a few weeks and have to stay with me, but there won't be any lasting damage."

Baby Tooth twittered in agreement, and motioned for Jack to lift her to his face. She hugged his nose, speaking rapidly. The only thing he could pick up was 'okay.' Tooth reached over and plucked her from his face, cradling her close. "That's enough, Baby." She chided gently, though her own eyes lingered on Jack's smile.

A soft 'mrow' brought the trios attention to the cause of the trouble. Kitten was sitting a few feet away from them, tail wrapped around her paws, watching them curiously. Jack crouched back down on the floor and wiggled his fingers at the kitty. "C'mere, Kitten."

Slowly, the Russian Blue crept forward and rubbed her head against his fingers. Jack gently scooped her up, holding her to his chest. He sighed and pressed their foreheads together, before placing her on his shoulder and standing. "If you keep this up, Kitten, we'll be kicked out of every place we visit!"

"Jack!" Tooth picked herself up with her wings and hovered in front of him. "I'm not going to kick you out! It was an accident. Baby Tooth will be fine."

"I know," Jack picked up his staff and rolled it between his hands, "But it could happen again. Cats _hunt _birds, you know. It's instinct. I don't want to force Kitten to live some place where she can't be a cat." He took an apple from the bowl of fruit and shoved it in the pocket of his hoodie. "Besides, we'll come and visit," the winter spirit winked. "You aren't getting rid of me that easily."

Tooth sighed, crest falling a bit. "If that's what you think is best, Sweet Tooth." She placed Baby Tooth on her own shoulder and ran a hand over Kittens head. "Just remember, you're always welcome here."

Jack nodded, "I know." He looked at his pet. "Ready to fly, Kitten?" She mrowed.

"You might want to try Sandy first," Tooth suggested. "I don't know if Aster likes cats."

The winter spirit nodded. "Will you be at the party tomorrow night?"

"Of course! North always has the best sugar-free gingerbread fairies for me and my girls."

"I'll see you tomorrow then. You too, Baby Tooth! Feel better!"

With a last, bright smile for the two fairies, Jack took off for the Isle of Dreams.

* * *

**AN: For the record, Kitten feels really bad about hurting Baby Tooth! And I feel really bad about taking so long to get this written! Sorry about that! There's only three or so chapters left, so I hope to have it all up and finished soon!**

**Please review, let me know what you liked and didn't like, and point out any mistakes I made! **

**Thank you to all my beautiful and amazing reviewers! You keep me writing!**


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